Eventually one design was chosen to be progressed towards construction. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab (DRL 10), existing and graduate students were invited to compete to design a pavilion. What follows is an attempt to introduce the concept of project work and to describe the characteristics of a typical project. The brief for the pavilions keeps the programmatic requirements relatively simple. The outer two layers are freer while the inner two layers are more geometric. It expresses the idea of a tunnel with an open structure and patterned cladding emerging from the landscape and casting shadows upon it. This looseness allows the designer to focus on their own preoccupations and conceptual direction. Driftwood Pavilion was inspired by the unit’s interest in the idea of motion and the eroded rock formations and architecture of the Jordanian city of Petra. Many student project briefs will emphasise particular stages of the project over others in order to teach those areas in more detail. The structure is formed from 653 pieces of laminated veneer lumber that were shaped by a CNC milling machine. Design studio projects
Every design studio project is different. The projects were developed over the course of the academic year. The pavilion rises into a dome and falls to drape on to the ground making places to sit and lie down. Testing and construction of the project involved the whole unit and tutors collaborating in a manner similar to an architectural office, with consultant engineers, material specialists and technicians giving expert advice. The most successful proposals were shortlisted for more detailed development, with students working in small groups to explore the viability of each option. Driftwood Pavilion by The Intermediate Unit 2 pavilions have used innovative
Danacia Sibmg° and intermediate materials such as Kerto, a lightweight laminated veneer
lumber (LVL) in different configurations and forms according to the design of each pavilion. Swoosh Pavilion is an open-latticed structure that curves and twists around the square’s lamp-posts to form canopies, openings and benches. In addition to physical models and prototypes, they have used digital modelling to design and manufacture via Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) techniques. The team generated 112 technical drawings in order to manufacture and construct the pavilion. Although the structure looks tangled, with its complicated double-curved, twisted glue-laminated beams, there is order to the structure and construction. The white stain applied to the timber emphasises the difference between the structure and its shadow. Project: Oxford Literary Festival Location: Oxford, UK Designer: Joanna Gorringe Minto Date: 2010
This early sketch model/drawing was made at the beginning of a project. Bad Hair Pavilion was inspired by the designer’s interpretation of her own wet hair as it dried. Alan Dempsey and Alvin Huang were invited to develop and construct their design for a glass-fibre reinforced concrete structure. Shelter and seating provision are not prerequisites. This material is normally used for cladding rather than structural purposes. The main vertical curved columns are connected by shorter, slimmer cross beams that radiate out from the centre. Students were encouraged to contribute an idea every time the group met to progress the design. The timber has been stained a rich brown and the members are bolted together.
